


Possessions of a Tired Man

by NarshTaters



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Sky goes missing, Tags to be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-12
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26960749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NarshTaters/pseuds/NarshTaters
Summary: It was a classic case of missing in action, yet there was practically no action for Sky to be taken up in. He was just… missing. They had no why, they had no how. Hell, they didn’t even have a what! Just questions upon questions that only dredged up more worry and dread than they knew what to do with. Not to mention that the little information they had only pointed to discouraging answers, each one bleaker than the last.============There was no straight answer to Sky's disappearance. No, there was only the left behind Master Sword and the residue of dark portal magic, portals each Link had seen plenty of times before.They could draw their own conclusions, but there was no foreseeable conclusion that would lead them to their friend being safe and sound. He was just gone.They just hoped he wasn't dead.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 117





	Possessions of a Tired Man

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Seeking7 for beta-ing this fic!! Your help was much appreciated!!!

Sky hadn’t been sleeping. That should have been his first clue that something was wrong. As Four dodged and weaved through the brush of the forest, he berated himself. That should have been his negative first clue! It was so easy to find Sky sleeping. The man dozed off almost every chance he got! 

It had been harder to find Sky asleep than it was to find him awake. At night he would just lay there, his eyes watching the sky. Wind and Hyrule pressed into his side as they slept, but sleep never came to Sky himself.

The smithy had brushed that off, but Sky’s downright exhaustion should have been his second clue. There were times where it would take just a second longer to get his attention, and whenever Four did, Sky would look right through him. Almost as if they weren’t on the same plane of existence. But it would only last for a split second before he was fully there, talking and chatting and engaging in whatever activity you asked of him.

The smithy slid under a low-hanging branch, scrambling back up to his feet and restarting his sprint. He was almost at camp, he could feel it! Just a bit further and he would be back to the others.

Maybe he ignored it because Four did the same thing. Always talking to himself, always thinking, always conversing. Four minds fit into one. But Sky wasn’t like him. None of the others were like him. Like  _ them _ . He should have seen the oddities as they were. He should have investigated. He should have done something!

Morning broke through the gaps in the trees, nearly blinding Four with its light. His legs were numb from running in the cold of the brush, but he was grateful for the warmth of the sun starting to thaw the land around him. He had to hurry. Crisp air pounded through his lungs as he ran, pushing him faster and faster. The trees grew more and more familiar and he caught sight of their camp. Finally--!

“SKY!! Sky, is Sky here??” He burst into camp, drawing all eyes to him. He searched their faces, but he was only met with their confusion and alarm.  _ Ugh, that didn’t help!! _

“Is Sky at camp? Where is he??” He asked again, rushing through their group towards where Sky kept his stuff. The bedroll was there but there was no sign of him.  _ Damn! _ Four continued to look. Maybe there was something in the bushes he left behind? Maybe his shield? The harp? The carving knife? But there was nothing. He couldn’t have just…  _ vanished _ , could he?

“Hold on, little one, slow down. What’s got you so riled up?” Time questioned, concern written on his face. He held one hand on the hilt of his blade, ready for whatever action would come for them.

“If he entered camp at all this morning, I haven’t seen him,” Warriors stated. Right. He had asked him to cover his shift while he looked for the Skyloftian. Not that he told the captain that that’s what he was doing, but at the time, he at least had some sense of decency to protect Sky’s privacy.  _ Going after him was a break in his privacy, _ a stone scrapped.  _ Well look what good that did,  _ pounded an ocean. 

“You’re sure? You didn’t fall asleep, right?” Four said over his shoulder.  _ There just had to be something! _

“No, of course not,” Warriors said, an edge in his voice, “Now, would you tell us what’s going on?”

“Hold on, just give me a second.” Maybe he was just on his way back? Had he missed him? His sword wasn’t here, but there was a chance that he--

“Four.” Time’s commanding voice split through his thoughts as he placed a hand on the smithy’s shoulder, stilling him. “Is there something wrong with Sky?”

And there was the third and final clue, its cutting edge leaving a pain deep in Four’s gut. He turned to Time and saw each and every hint he ignored painted into lines of worry on the older man’s face. His throat felt dry.

“He’s gone.”

* * *

After the initial confusion had passed, he was able to explain everything to the others.

“He just walked through a portal?” Warriors asked.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see it for myself, but from what the Minish told me, that seems to be the case.” Four crossed his arms as he felt his expression sour into concern and frustration.  _ It just didn’t make any sense! _ (None of it made any sense.) How did he manage it in the first place?  _ Why would Sky just leave us? _

He closed his eyes and took a breath. Trying to question the situation wasn’t going to be any help, they had to find some sort of solution. He just hoped that wherever Sky was, he was safe.

“Did they tell you anything else?” Time asked, his brow furrowed in concentration. He had already given orders to Twilight, Legend and Hyrule to search the woods a while ago, Twilight taking his wolf form to better search for Sky’s scent, but the old man didn’t have anything else to occupy himself with. They sat on the felled logs around camp, laying out their information. 

“Not much, but they mentioned that he was stumbling. Maybe he was in some kind of trance?” Four said, uncertain even in his own words.

“Or he was injured. Maybe he got attacked by something and got pushed in.” Warriors suggested.

Four shook his head, “No, they would have mentioned if something else was there. They would have said if he was hurt too, but he was just…  _ stumbling _ .” He scratched his chin in thought, not sure of what to make of their information.

“And what about the sword?” Time’s voice was suddenly more grim than it had been moments before, the man leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. They all knew what he meant. Not that it posed any real issues for the heroes, but losing the sword was a tricky endeavor. It had broken and come back before, but who’s to say if that could be applied to losing it?

“.. I’m not sure,” Four replied cautiously, “The description they gave me of Sky didn’t mention it. What do we do if he still has it?”

“Be grateful that he has something to protect himself with, I suppose.” Time replied. 

“And if he doesn’t?” Warriors asked, his lips drawn in a tight line. 

Time didn’t reply for a moment, leaning back and crossing his arms with a frown. He sighed and allowed some of the tension to relax from his shoulders.

“Then we’ll find it and move from there.” He said finally, “And hope for the best.”

“Already found it, actually.” The veteran’s voice called. Four turned to see Legend, Hyrule, and Twilight enter the clearing, the ranch hand’s wolf form taking the lead. Legend followed close behind, making his way to the small circle they had formed, holding the blade out by its scabbard for the others to see. Warriors stood to meet them.

“We didn’t see it on the way there, but we saw it on the way back. He must’ve dropped it in the bushes when he left.” The veteran handed the sword off to their captain, moving to stand in the spot next to Four. 

_ He didn’t leave! _ A fire hissed. Four didn’t press it. “I’m guessing you didn’t find him then?”

Hyrule shook his head, “Wolfie followed his scent until it just kind of… stopped. We searched around, but there was no one there.”

“No sign of a struggle?” Warriors inquired, inspecting the blade with a frown. 

Hyrule watched him cautiously as he unsheathed it and scanned it over with a keen eye. “No. Nothing. Whatever happened there, there wasn’t a fight.” 

It really was a magnificent blade. Four might’ve denied the thought of even touching it, fearing the judgement it would cast upon his form, but he could still appreciate the craft from which it was made. A divine instrument of evil’s destruction finely honed to perfection, passed down to century after countless century. Upgraded and wielded by hero after hero, it was surely a sword to be feared. 

Warriors held the sword in his grasp, letting it rest at his side a moment before returning it to its scabbard with a sigh. “Do we know anything else?”

The younger hero bit his lip, nervous of the next words out of his mouth. “Four was right. Right where the trail stopped, there was residue of dark magic, like the portals we’ve been through. Sky must’ve..” Hyrule didn’t want to say it. He didn’t have to. 

“There’s no way!” The sailor pushed his way into the conversation, his voice ripe with conviction, “Sky wouldn’t just walk into a portal by himself! He’s not  _ stupid _ . Something must’ve made him walk through.”

“Besides, Sky wouldn’t just leave the Master Sword like that. Not without a good reason,” Twilight added. He must have shifted back while they weren’t looking. “I’m not sure of what reason that could be, but my bet’s on some kind of foul play. Whatever it is, Sky’s not to blame.”

Legend’s eyes grew dark, his expression suddenly wary. “So, what, you saying something was controlling him?” 

“I’m saying it’s a possibility.”

“I’ve seen it happen before,” the champion said, coming in beside Wind, “I couldn’t say for  _ what _ is controlling him though.”

“If something  _ is _ controlling him,” Wind began hesitantly, “Do we…does that mean we have to fight him?” Wind attempted to keep his expression stone, but Four could see how his eyes betrayed his dread. 

Time‘s mouth twitched downwards, worn lines around his lips deepening. “Let’s not jump to any conclusions here, we still don’t know for certain what happened. He may not have the Master Sword with him, but he’s a capable hero and can take care of himself. Right now, that’s all we can hope for.”

Quiet fell onto the other heroes. Their worries might not have been assuaged, but at least for now they were calmed. A gentle breeze passed through them with ease, entirely ignorant to their strife. Morning had passed hours ago, the sun stretching high above the horizon and into the cloudless sky, bringing with it a gentle caress of warmth that pricked at their skin and made the forest seem more vibrant and full of life than it had hours ago.

The world just kept on turning, with or without them.

“What do we do about the sword?” All eyes snapped to the captain, “Who’s taking it up?” His eyes traced from face to face questioningly, the scabbard firmly in his grasp.

There was a moment of uneasy contemplation before the old man let out a harsh scoff.

“I’m content being retired from it, thank you. No need for any of  _ that _ trouble.”

And then came the confidence for the other responses.

“I like my own sword better.” The veteran.

“I don’t think I’m  _ fit _ to wield it…” The traveler.

“No way.” The champion.

“Nope.” Four didn’t even need to put it up for debate.

“Ranch hand? Sailor? What about you?” Warriors looked to the other heroes with a quirk in his brow. It seems their lack of an answer didn’t go unnoticed.

Wind shuffled his feet. “Normally, I would’ve said yes, but… I don’t know, it just seems weird handing it off so soon. He’s not…” Wind trailed off, swallowing the words before continuing, “He could still come back.”

“Exactly.” Twilight’s expression twisted into a taunt grimace, “The blade might be powerful and able to turn a tide in a fight, but we shouldn’t just jump to using it just yet. Our own weapons are fine.”

Warriors nodded, “I understand that, I didn’t mean to imply we had to  _ wield _ it right away. I just meant who should have it while Sky’s gone. However long that’ll be.” He looked down at the legendary blade in his hands, eyeing it with a solemn expression, “I can keep it for now. Just until we find him.” He put the blade down, resting it on a nearby rock. His hand hesitated on the hilt as the smooth indigo surface practically glinted in the light of the sun, the captain’s expression near unreadable.

There was a brief moment of silence. Four didn’t know if it was filled with mourning or with hopelessness, or some frustrating combination of the two, but he couldn’t take it. Sky didn’t just leave them. There must have been more to it. There  _ had _ to be more to it. The man cared too much about the sword. He cared too much about them, his companions, his  _ friends. _ Too much to just leave.

“He was acting strange before he left.” The words were out of his mouth before he knew what to do with them. “Not just last night. Before then too.” He could feel his stomach twist into knots with guilt, churning into a sickening venom. He clung to his sides as he stared at his feet.

“I know I should have said something. I just didn’t think… I don’t know what I thought. I just ignored it.” There wasn’t a reasonable explanation. He tried to mind his own business. The smithy had his own secrets and the others had theirs. That’s just how it was and how they wanted to keep it. But Sky didn’t ever have problems. He was more the type to lend an ear than ask for it. Did he feel overwhelmed because of that? Did he feel like he didn’t have anyone to go to? Is that why he left?

… Was it their fault?

A hand reached out to gently squeeze his shoulder. Time’s.

“It’s alright, little one. None of us could have predicted something like this would happen.” 

And once again Four was reminded of his failures. Time spoke reassuringly, but the smithy couldn’t find it in himself to believe him.  _ He _ noticed.  _ He  _ could have predicted.  _ He saw that something was wrong! _ Why didn’t he do anything about it?

“I know.” He didn’t.

* * *

_ The dark of the night spread into the vastness of the forest before him, only interrupted by the soft light of the moon above. A cold shiver rattled down his spine and he wrapped the blanket tighter around his shoulders. He never really was that good with the cold. _

_ The sounds of the night were plentiful, but Four was content to fill them with his own thoughts. A conversation of four was at least enough to distract him from how cold he felt. And with just him on watch, they had the freedom to talk, muttering the words under his breath as to not wake the others.  _

_ “We’ve got some time until sunrise, we could read a book?” A stone shuffled. _

_ “Reading the same three books has been getting kind of old, don’tcha think?” A wave splashed. _

_ “We could draw in the dirt!” A fire bounced. _

_ Cool waters twisted in criticism. “Just as long as we use a stick this time.” _

_ A breeze chuckled playfully, “Yeah, our fingers got pretty raw last time.” _

_ “Maybe we could try carving?” Warm fire suggested, “Sky’s been showing us how.”  _

_ “Hmm… It certainly would be something to do.” A stone considered. _

_ Already the breeze was moving, “We just have to get a log, right? And then we can--” _

_ All four voices silenced as the sound of movement shifted behind them. _

_ He expected one of the others to be staring him down, his secret spread out on display for them to gawk at, but it was only Sky, the other hero carefully removing himself from underneath Wind, trying his best not to disturb the sailor’s sleep. No part of him seemed to suggest that he noticed the conversation Four was having with himself. That was a relief. Four got lucky this time, but he really should have been quieter. _

_ Four watched as the chosen hero shifted his slumbering companion with patient movements, tucking him back in under his own blanket with care. Once he was free, he looked up and caught Four’s eye, his surprised reaction not reaching his face until a second later. He’d been doing that more often recently; seeing but not really seeing. Maybe Sky was just tired. He  _ **_had_ ** _ been neglecting sleep as of late.  _

_ He beckoned him over with a hand, Sky blinking at the offer before nodding and making his way across camp towards the smithy. He sat down carefully beside him on the fallen log, letting his sailcloth drape over his arms. He pulled up his hands to hold it there, fending off some of the cold from reaching his form. _

_ “Can’t sleep?” Four whispered. _

_ Sky shrugged with a half-hearted smile, “Just a headache. I’ll be alright.” _

_ “Oh. Well, you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need, Sky.” _

_ “Thank you,” He hummed, closing his eyes before turning to the woods. “How goes the watch?” _

_ “Slow, as usual. I was just about to try woodcarving to pass the time, actually.” _

_ It took Sky a moment to register his words, but he turned to the smithy with an excited grin, “You were? Anything in mind for what to make?” _

_ Four shook his head, getting up from his spot to peruse his options for wood in the pile of logs meant for the fire. “No, not yet. I figured I would just figure it out as I went along. I can do that, right?” _

_ “Of course. I’ve done that plenty of times.” Four picked out one of the smaller logs from the pile, only about the thickness of his forearm and as long as his palm, and sat back down next to Sky, taking a smile knife from his pockets. He began to smooth the surface of the wood in the way Sky taught him to, already thinking of his options for a carving. Maybe he could make a little Ezlo, reminiscent of the golden weight on his hood. He started to create divots in the wood, marking out the shapes he would need. _

_ Sky watched him intently as he worked, a proud smile resting on his lips. They fit into a comfortable silence, the unsteady scraping of the knife against wood filling the space between them.  _

_ After a while, Sky’s smile started to fade, his brow furrowing into what seemed like concentration, but his eyes were no longer focused on the wood in Four’s hands. He blinked hard and turned instead to the forest and the dark shadows found in its depths. Four tried to keep his attention on the work in his palms, but he found himself watching the other man out of the corner of his eye, letting the scraping of the knife begin to slow. _

_ Sky was just glaring into the forest, eyes distant and unfocused, but at the same time, it was like they were fighting to be focused and alert, his eyes moving every once in a while to see things that were unseen. His hands clenched and unclenched, over and over again, balling the fabric of his sailcloth in his fists as if he was trying to remind himself of the feeling. _

_ What’s up with him? _

_ Is he trying to keep himself awake? _

_ Should we say something? _

_ Is he alright? _

_ “Did you say something?” Sky asked. _

_ Yikes! Did he say that last one out loud? “Uh-- I said, are you alright? You seem kind of out of it.” Good cover. _

_ “...Oh. Yeah, I’m just.. It’s just the headache. I’ll be okay.” He turned his gaze onto Four, but it wasn’t long before it became hazy and distant. He turned from the smithy, blinking hard and a couple more times, trying to clear his vision to no avail. _

_ He stood, holding his temple with his hand. “I’m gonna go on a walk. I think I just need to clear my head.” _

_ Four frowned as he watched his companion trudge off to pick up the Master Sword from its spot on the ground, slinging its baldric over his shoulder. It really wasn’t his business to pry, but Sky was… well. _

_ Four put the wood and the knife down beside him, letting the carving go forgotten for now. _

_ “Sky?” The man stopped, his back turned to the smithy. “Are you sure you’re alright?” _

_ A long moment passed where the chosen hero didn’t respond. After what felt like an eternity, Sky turned his head, a reassuring smile tugging at his lips. _

_ “It’s just a headache, Smithy. I’ll be back soon.” _

_ That only served to deepen Four’s worry, but he nodded and watched him walk off into the dark, the white of his sailcloth slowly fading into the shadows until he couldn’t see him anymore. Four turned back to the woods in front of him with a frown, letting the minutes pass. _

_ Ten minutes. _

_ Fifteen minutes. _

_ Thirty. _

_ An hour.  _

_ He clearly wasn’t okay. _

_ An hour and ten. _

_ It wasn’t his business to go and pry. They all had their fair share of secrets. _

_ An hour and thirty. _

_ He should be back by now. _

_ An hour and forty. _

_ That’s it, he was going after him. _

_ Four woke the captain, ignoring the man’s groans and protests as he shoved watch duty onto him. He only specified that he would be back by daybreak, he just needed to check on something. Warriors didn’t need to know what Four was doing if this ended up not being anything serious, he at least owed Sky that much.  _

_ ‘I’ll be back soon’, huh. _

_ Bullshit. _

* * *

The hours passed through the day without much further activity and no major updates. They searched the woods again, trying to find something,  _ anything _ that could help them. But there was nothing. Even the Minish Four questioned had no answers for them.

Warriors ran a hand through his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose until the thudding in his head faded to a bearable level.

Hopelessness was starting to get to them. It hadn’t even been a day but still they had close to no leads. As a leader, how was he supposed to guide his group? It was a classic case of missing in action, yet there was practically no action for Sky to be taken up in. He was just…  _ missing _ . They had no why, they had no how. Hell, they didn’t even have a what! Just questions upon questions that only dredged up more worry and dread than they knew what to do with. Not to mention that the little information they had only pointed to discouraging answers, each one bleaker than the last.

As the sun started to sink lower and lower into the sky, their shadows stretched long across the clearing to combat the orange glow of the coming dusk, Warriors’ mind filling with thoughts of their missing companion, despite his efforts to the contrary. 

He tried everything in order to think of something else. Anything else. He mapped their route for traveling in the coming days with Time. The old man kept his suggestions short and succinct, keeping the conversation to a minimum and mention of Sky to an absolute zero. Whether he was doing it out of respect or avoidance he couldn’t say, but Warriors appreciated it nonetheless, even if  _ not _ mentioning him made the issue more present. More real.

He tried polishing his armor, hoping the familiar routine and the sharp smell of polish would distract him. But it started to reek bitterly of old memories and sour sorrows after a while, so he resolved to finish the job later on in the day. He sparred with Wind instead, giving the sailor pointers on his form that the kid only half-heartedly protested. The sailor should have offered his own version of critique, cherry-picking what he liked and disliked from Warriors’ instruction with more sass than could be found on a twilit imp. But the boy was quiet, more snappy, more hostile. It just wasn’t the same.

He tried talking with the veteran, usual competitions and banters breaking out with smirks and grins, though one small slip-up and suddenly it was personal. Suddenly it was about their adventures. Suddenly it was about the Master Sword. Their plans. Their worries. Suddenly it was about  _ Sky--! _

They cut it short.

Night was upon them and Warriors found himself polishing his armor once more, letting the monotonous and familiar rhythm flow through him. Perhaps that’s what he was looking for; something familiar. Something he could control. He could control appearances. He was good at appearances.

He let the sounds of the others fall into the background, their light conversations drifting through the wind like the embers of the fire quietly crackling beside them.

He couldn’t control where Sky was, and he couldn’t control the information they were given. He couldn’t control their plans of action, each possible assumption splitting the possibilities and fracturing their effectiveness. Would Sky return on his own? Should they wait for him? Should they continue on? If he went through a portal, would their group end up in the same Hyrule? Or even the same time period? Without a sword or companions, could Sky fend for himself?

Was he even still alive?

“I think your armor’s been pretty polished for a while now, Captain.”

Standing over him was the ranch hand, already stripped of his armor for the night with one hand on his hip. He kept the wolf pelt wrapped around his shoulders, preventing the cold from nipping at his neck. Though the light of the campfire partially shadowed his face, his eyes shone with an odd sympathy.

“Mind if I join you?”

“I don’t see why not.” Warriors offered the spot next to him to the other hero, Twilight settling down on the log with a sigh.

“Everything alright, ranch hand?” Warriors asked, setting down the armor in his hands with the rest of his stuff, wiping the polishing oils from his fingers with a rag.

“Funny you should say that actually, I was about to ask you the same thing.” Twilight laughed bitterly, “Quite the day today, huh?”

Warriors rolled his eyes, “That’s certainly the understatement of the century. Who knew something like this would shake us so hard?”

Twilight shrugged noncommittally as his smile began to fade, kicking his heel into the dirt. “Wish I knew. Then I could have… I don’t know.”

“Stopped him?”

“Something like that.”

They lapsed into silence a moment. It wasn’t often they talked like this. Maybe they just never had the need to. Maybe Twilight had noticed Time’s avoidance of the matter and sought out reassurance. Or maybe Twilight had noticed Warriors’ own pitiful stupor and came to offer comfort. Or maybe they were both pitiful, drowning in unknown sorrows.

"What if we can't find him?" Twilight’s words came out barely a whisper, unexpected, dark, and filled with despair. The world seemed to stop and listen, every sound snuffed out and ground into the dirt with the heel of a beaten sole. All that was left were those words, hanging cold and dead in the night air. Warriors suddenly wished he were closer to the fire. 

If they succeeded in finding Sky, he just had to hope that everything would return to normal. He had to hope that Sky would be the same Sky he had always been. The dark times would be gone, but never forgotten, and they could live with that. But he knew he was being too optimistic. There was no telling what could happen in a battle, no telling what could come out of the blue and change the tide in a fight, whether for good or for evil. This was no different. Sky could be missing for days, weeks, or  _ months _ . Sky could be dead for all they knew. Should they mourn him? Raise a glass in his name? Carry the sword he so cherished? The time they had spent together would live on in memory, but the chosen hero would be lost forever.

But he was the captain. Who was he to lower the morale of his companions? Twilight was no exception, even if the man thought himself one of their leaders. Warriors' thoughts were his own, and he intended to keep them that way. 

"We  _ will _ find him." 

Warriors was good at appearances. He had to be.

Twilight continued to stare at the ground at his feet, but eventually he nodded and they fell into silence once more. Warriors watched the fire as its hot light shifted and turned, stretching eight shadows far into the darkness until they fell completely into the surrounding woods. The world stopped listening. The world stopped caring. The fire crackled and the breeze continued to flow, but the air was nonetheless suffocating.

“...I’m gonna try to get some sleep. You should too, ranch hand.” Warriors stood, stretching out his back to let the joints pop, “Just in case someone tries to wake me up for the second night in a row, I want to at least get  _ some _ rest.”

Twilight scoffed with a shake of his head, rustling the heavy thoughts collecting on his shoulders. “Good idea. Rest well.”

“You too, rancher.”

* * *

“...Captain?”

…

“Captain.”

“...mm....?”

“Captain, get up.”

“...mmph.. ‘S not my watch..…  _ Ow!!  _ Sailor, did you just  _ kick _ me?!”  _ Fine!  _ He was awake.

“ _ Sshhh!!  _ Can it before you wake the whole camp!” Wind hissed, furiously putting a finger to his lips.

“Fine, fine…” Warriors propped himself up on his elbow, rubbing his eyes with his other hand. Seriously? He’s woken up for the second night in a row? “What is it?” 

Wind paused. His expression softened into uncertain nervousness, idly wringing the edges of the blanket draped over his shoulders as he knelt down beside the captain. “Can I… Can I sleep with you?”

“What?”

The sailor’s brow furrowed and he frowned, his cheeks pricking with embarrassment. “Can I sleep here. With you.”

“Huh? Why?” Maybe it was just his sleepy state making him confused, but he genuinely didn’t understand why Wind was coming to  _ him, _ of all people.

“Well, it’s just that--!” Wind bit his lip, carefully deciding on his next words, “It’s just that usually I sleep with Sky and he pets my hair until I fall asleep, but Sky’s… He’s not here.” His expression shifted into an ashamed worry, eyes glued to the ground at his knees.

Oh.

“Oh... Right. Y-Yeah, of course you can.” Warriors should have known better. The two of them always slept together. On top of that, Sky was the most outwardly affectionate out of all of them. The countless nights they had spent wrapped in the close comfort of company meant Wind was probably used to it. It was no wonder Wind came looking for that comfort. Why he chose Warriors out of all of them was a mystery, but if he was less tired he might’ve put in the effort to figure it out.

“Really?” Wind’s eyes snapped back up to his, surprised and hopeful.

“Yeah. C’mere.” Warriors held his arm out as an invitation as he scooted to make room for the younger hero in his bedroll. 

Wind laid down beside Warriors, draping his arm over the elder man’s middle and resting his head on his chest. Warriors allowed him to press into his side, folding his arm protectively around the sailor. He gave his shoulder a light squeeze before he shifted his hand wordlessly to Wind’s tangled blond mess of hair. The captain might not have been the most affectionate out of all of them, but he at least knew hair. Even if said hair was messy at best and an irredeemable bird’s nest at worst. 

Regardless, he ran his fingers through it absentmindedly, smoothing out each tangle with the gentle care of understanding. The gentle care of knowing. He let his gaze pass through the canopy above them towards the stars, counting their billions with a learned patience. Each light was like a tiny pinprick in the curtain of the night, gently shimmering with a brilliance that felt so personal yet so very distant.

Sounds of the night filled his ears, the wind carrying cricket songs through the trees and gently out into some great infinite unknown. Wind’s chest started to shake against him and Warriors held him tighter, trying to will away the sailor’s tears that fell without a sound. They were safe. The others’ steady breathing surrounded them, and Warriors began to slow his own to match. 

He counted them. Legend usually slept restlessly, tossing and turning in the night as he rested by his collection of items. Tonight he was stilled, however, the Traveler clinging to his waist with gentle longing. Farther off was the ranch hand and the champion sleeping back to back. Their respective presences barely registered to one another except for when the champion would jolt or make a noise in his sleep, prompting Twilight to roll over, gently bumping the teen back into a deep slumber. Laying against the roots of a tree was the smithy, his small form almost completely buried by layer after layer of blanket. His nose and eyes just barely peaked over the edge, allowing him to breathe quietly. Finally, Time sat on a fallen log at the edge of camp, watching over the rest of their group, silently scanning the dark of the forest for signs of anyone else. Of course, no one would come.

It was peaceful. 

But it wasn’t comforting.

“I miss him.” Wind whispered into his shirt, damp with the kid’s silent tears.

Warriors inhaled, feeling the air swirl through his lungs as his chest rose and fell with a heavy sigh.

“Yeah. Me too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!! It's been a while but I've got a new fic!! The idea for this has been buzzing around my brain for a while and I'm so glad I finally get to show it off >u<
> 
> I'm not sure how consistent I'll be with updating this since I've got school and college apps and a whole bunch of other stuff to do, but I'll try my best!!  
> If you liked this please leave a comment, I wanna know what you think!!! :000 I'm gonna try to be more adamant about responding to y'all because it really does make me so happy to see that you guys read and enjoy this, even if I don't show it all the time!! <3
> 
> As always, thanks for reading!!


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